I am sorry to hear about your peonies. When you dig up the Raspberry Sundae plant, what was the condition of the tubers? Was it all shrivel, dried, or mushy? If the tubers are firm, I think they may just go through early dormancy. In this case, they are ok and they will grow back next year. I think your best bet for the Sarah Bernhardt peony is to leave it alone, let the leaves die back on its own and hope for the best next year. If you are curious to see if your plant is alive or dead, you can dig it up in October and if it is alive, there should be new eyes formed on the tuber for next spring. For now, just keep it well mulched or grow some annuals that will shade the spot where the peony was planted. Good luck!

You have just provided a reason for not planting in the dead of summer, especially during the current heat wave. Provide sarah with some badly needed shade until it gets established in your soil. Al

What would be the best method to shade the peony plant? Our home is newly constructed & there's nothing to shield it. Thank you.

What would be the best method to shade the peony plant? Our home is newly constructed & there's nothing to shield it. Thank you.

What would be the best method to shade the peony plant? Our home is newly constructed & there's nothing to shield it. Thank you.

What would be the best method to shade the peony plant? Our home is newly constructed & there's nothing to shield it. Thank you.

If your peony is in a very visible place and you want the shade to be attractive you should look at the Umbrellas for Peonies post on page 3. You could always rig a shade cloth with the green T-posts, though, if you don't need it to be pretty!